ASHVINI to float Rs 28,000 crore EPC tender for Mahi Banswara nuclear project
Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI) is set to invite bids for the Nuclear Island Mega EPC Package (NIMEP) for Units 1 to 4 of the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP) in Rajasthan.
Estimated to be worth more than Rs 28,000 crore, the package is expected to be the largest Nuclear Island engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract issued under India’s indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) programme.
ASHVINI is a subsidiary of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and a joint venture between NPCIL and NTPC Limited.
Package scope
The proposed tender covers the nuclear island works for four PHWR units of 700 MWe each, taking the total capacity of the project to 2,800 MWe.
The scope includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, civil construction, installation, testing and commissioning assistance for critical nuclear island systems associated with the four reactors.
The tender is expected to provide significant opportunities for domestic manufacturers and engineering companies participating in India’s nuclear supply chain, particularly as the country scales up deployment of its standardised 700 MWe PHWR design.
Project progress
The development comes a few months after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) approved commencing excavation activities for MBRAPP Units 1 and 2.
The regulatory approval, issued in March 2026, marked the beginning of site development activities for the project, which is being implemented in Rajasthan using NPCIL’s indigenous 700 MWe PHWR technology.
MBRAPP is among the major projects planned under India’s nuclear expansion programme and forms part of the government’s broader target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
Nuclear expansion
India has increasingly adopted the standardised 700 MWe PHWR design for new nuclear projects to accelerate deployment and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The issuance of the NIMEP tender represents a significant procurement milestone for the sector, given both its scale and the concentration of four units under a single package.
The project is also expected to contribute additional low-carbon baseload capacity to the national grid while expanding opportunities for Indian industry across engineering, equipment manufacturing and construction segments.
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